Liquid motion anti-disturbance switch

ABSTRACT

A hollow hermetically sealed sphere has sets of insulated conducting segments forming terminals of a normally open switch. A nonconducting flotation media partially fills the sphere. An insulating toroid, of lower density than the flotation media, freely floats thereon. The toroidal inside walls insolates a disc-shaped, conductive film which floats on the flotation media, from an outer annular conducting film of like nature which provides an electrical connection with at least one of the conducting segments. The segments are externally interconnected to form a plus set and a minus set. The shape and interconnection of the segments is arranged such that the annular conducting film will not contact a segment of the plus and minus set at the same time and such that the disc conducting film will contact a segment of the minus set when the annular film is contacting a segment of the plus set and vice versa. The freedom of orientation of the sphere is limited by the shape and area of the segments and level of the flotation media.

United States Patent [191 Reinnagel 1 Oct. 21, 1975 l l LIQUID MOTION ANTI-DISTURBANCE SWITCH [75] Inventor: Richard E. Reinnagel, Elma, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Jan. 15, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 433,587

[44] Published under the Trial Voluntary Protest Program on January 28, 1975 as document no.

[58] Field of Search ZOO/61.47, 182, 183, 193, 200/214, 220, 222, 223, 226, 230, 190, 194

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,666,122 4/1928 Denniston ZOO/61.47 2,172,423 9/1939 Wangemann 200/193 2,265,681 12/1941 Bear et al. 200/226 2,849,550 8/1958 Olmer et al 200/224 X 3,240,900 3/1966 Halff et al.... 200/183 X 3,259,900 7/1966 Lord ZOO/61.47 X 3,304,651 2/1967 Deyerl ZOO/61.47 X

Primary Examinerlames R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or FirmNathan Edelberg; Robert P. Gibson; Max Yarmovsky [57] ABSTRACT A hollow hermetically sealed sphere has sets of insulated conducting segments forming terminals of a normally open switch. A nonconducting flotation media partially fills the sphere. An insulating toroid, of lower density than the flotation media, freely floats thereon. The toroidal inside walls insulates a disc-shaped, conductive film which floats on the flotation media, from an outer annular conducting film of like nature which provides an electrical connection with at least one of the conducting segments. The segments are externally interconnected to form a plus set and a minus set. The shape and interconnection of the segments is arranged such that the annular conducting film will not contact a segment of the plus and minus set at the same time and such that the disc conducting film will contact a segment of the minus set when the annular film is contacting a segment of the plus set and vice versa. The freedom of orientation of the sphere is limited by the shape and area of the segments and level of the flotation media.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,914,567

V Fm.

U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,914,567

U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of 3 LIQUID MOTION ANTI-DISTURBANCE SWITCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various means have been used in the prior art to make an anti-disturbance switch. The prior art antidisturbance switches have used rolling balls to provide a contact between two insulated wire terminals, gravity sensitive cantilevers, spring mechanical systems, inertial switches, pendulum switches and mercury switches. These prior art anti-disturbance switches generally suffer from lack of sensitivity to movement of the device to which they are affixed, require specific orientation to be uniformly operative, and sometimes have contact resistance problems. Contact resistance problems generally arise when the switch handles very small currents at low voltages and operates at low contact pressures.

The present invention, as described in further detail hereinafter, is designed to eliminate the requirement for a specific orientation for proper operation. In the present device an insulating ring or toroid floats on a nonconducting level seeking media until such time as the device is disturbed.

Contact resistance is not a problem in the present device since the invention employs the physical contact of two conducting fluids as part of the switch pole means, thus eliminating the contact pressure problems aforementioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a nearly omnidirectional liquid motion anti-disturbance switch. The switch is made spherical in shape with insulated contact terminals in the form of conducting segments of the hollow sphere. An insulating ring floats on a nonconducting flotation material and separates two conducting films which also float on the nonconducting flotation material. The two conducting films are in electrical connection with different insulated conducting terminal segments of the switch. When the switch is disturbed the floating ring because of its greater mass and inertia will tend to remain in its undisturbed position, while the conducting films will tend to flow together. As soon as the conducting films bridge the insulating gap provided by the insulating ring a switch closure results. The sensitivity of the device to motion can be controlled by the sphere geometry, the inertia and density of the insulating ring, the viscosity and density of the non-conducting flotation material, and the viscosity and density of the conducting fllms. Since the system is spherical, the device will function over a wide range of orientations.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch which is nearly omni-directional in its response to acceleration or tilt.

Another object of the present invention is to insure a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch which has low contact switching resistance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch whose sensitivity to motion can be controlled by varying the density of an insulating ring in relation to the density of a nonconducting flotation media.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch whose sensitivity to motion can be controlled by varying the density and/or viscosity of a conducting film in relation to the density and/or viscosity of a nonconducting flotation media.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch having minimum sensitivity dependence upon initial orientation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch which eliminates high contact pressure and reduces contact corrosion.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects thereof reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a polar partial diametral cross-sectional view of the spherically shaped liquid motion antidisturbance switch in its normally open position.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the switch taken along line 22 as'illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the switch housing showing the shape of the segments.

FIG. 4 is a polar partial diametral cross-sectional view of the spherically shaped liquid motion antidisturbance switch in its normally closed position.

Throughout the following description like reference numerals are used to denote like parts of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a liquid motion anti-disturbance switch 10 has a spherically shaped shell made of interconnected sets of conducting segments 12 and 12'. The segments of each set are externally interconnected to form a plus set and a minus set. The shape and interconnection of the segments 12 and 12 is arranged such that the annular conducting film 36 will not contact a segment of the plus and minus set at the same time and such that the disc conducting film 34 will contact a segment of the minus set when the annular film is contacting a segment of the plus set and vice versa. These segment sets 12 and 12' are electrically insulated from each other by shell insulator 22.

The freedom in orientation of the sphere is limited by the shape of the segments 12 and 12', the area of the segments relative to the total surface area of the sphere, and the level of the flotation media in the sphere.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, motion of the switch 10 will cause the toroid 26 to dip in the flotation media 24 thereby allowing the inner film 34 and outer conducting film 36 to come together thus electrically bridging the insulated gap of the toroid 26 and thereby closing the normally open terminals XX of the sphere.

A nonconducting flotation liquid 24, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, partially fills the internal volume of switch 10.

An insulating toroid 26 made of low density material, such as polypropylene, floats on the nonconducting liquid. A conductive nonmiscible fluid 28, made of an aqueous saline solution, floats on nonconducting liquid 24. Toroid 26 divides conductive fluid 28 into a disc shaped inner conducting film 34 and an outer annularly shaped second conducting film 36. The annularly shaped outer second conducting film 36 provides electrical conduction to adjacent segmented conducting terminals 12. A weighted conducting ball 30 having a whisker conducter 32 fixedly connected thereto is used to electrically connect the disc shaped inner conducting film 34 to one of the segmented conducting terminals 12. The toroid 26 made of such material as aforementioned will not be wet by the conducting films 34 and 36 and therefore has a high value of leakage resist'ance between terminals when the switch is in the open condition.

In operation, the toroidal shaped insulator 26 floating on the nonconductive liquid medium 24 maintains a separation between the conductive floating films 34 and 36 thereby keeping the switch in the normally open condition. Motion given to the switch will cause the toroid 26 because of its inertia to dip relative to the fluid as shown in FIG. 4, thereby allowing the inner conducting film 34 to touch the outer conducting film 36 by bridging the gap initially provided by toroid 26, thus closing the switch or completing the circuit connected to output terminals X-X. Since the aforementioned device may be symmetrical about an axis, it will function over a wide range of orientations.

While there has been described and illustrated specific embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious that various changes, modification and additions can be made herein without departing from the field of the invention which should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The limit on orientation is determined by the specific design of the segment and by the overall shape of the device. While the term spherical has been used throughout, such shapes as a cylinder, cube, wafer or pyramid are equally applicable.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A liquid motion anti-disturbance switch which comprises:

a hollow housing having a first and a second set of terminals electrically insulated from each other;

a nonconducting fluid partially filling said housing;

floating pole means deposed upon said nonconducting fluid and electrically connected to said sets of terminals, said pole means maintaining said set of terminals in an open disconnected position when said switch is at a rest position, and closing said switch when said switch is subjected to motion which includes;

a conducting film ring floating on said nonconducting fluid for making electrical contact with at least one of the said first set of terminals;

a conducting film disc floating on said nonconducting fluid being electrically insulated from said film ring when said switch is at a rest position;

contact means slidably disposed within said housing for contacting at least one of said second set of terminals and electrically connecting said film disc to said second set of terminals; and

an insulating toroid disposed within said housing having a density lower than said nonconducting fluid whereby said toroid floats on said nonconducting fluid, and mechanically and electrically separates said conducting film ring from said conducting film disc when said switch is in said rest position, said toroid effecting closure of said switch when said switch is tilted or given sufficient motion to cause said toroid means to dip in said nonconducting fluid, thereby allowing said conducting film ring and film disc to flow together causing switch closure.

2. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact means comprises:

a conductive spherically shaped body having a conductive wire fixedly embedded therein, said sphere slidably contacting one of said second set of terminals and said wire protruding through and making electrical contact with said film disc.

3. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said nonconducting fluid is liquid polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said conducting film ring is an aqueous saline solution.

5. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said conducting film disc is an aqueous saline solution.

6. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said toroid insulator is made of polypropylene. 

1. A liquid motion anti-disturbance switch which comprises: a hollow housing having a first and a second set of terminals electrically insulated from each other; a nonconducting fluid partially filling said housing; floating pole means deposed upon said nonconducting fluid and electrically connected to said sets of terminals, said pole means maintaining said set of terminals in an open disconnected position when said switch is at a rest position, and closing said switch when said switch is subjected to motion which includes; a conducting film ring floating on said nonconducting fluid for making electrical contact with at least one of the said first set of terminals; a conducting film disc floating on said nonconducting fluid being electrically insulated from said film ring when said switch is at a rest position; contact means slidably disposed within said housing for contacting at least one of said second set of terminals and electrically connecting said film disc to said second set of terminals; and an insulating toroid disposed within said housing having a density lower than said nonconducting fluid whereby said toroid floats on said nonconducting fluid, and mechanically and electrically separates said conducting film ring from said conducting film disc when said switch is in said rest position, said toroid effecting closure of said switch when said switch is tilted or given sufficient motion to cause said toroid means to dip in said nonconducting fluid, thereby allowing said conducting film ring and film disc to flow together causing switch closure.
 2. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact means comprises: a conductive spherically shaped body having a conductive wire fixedly embedded therein, said sphere slidably contacting one of said second set of terminals and said wire protruding through and making electrical conTact with said film disc.
 3. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said nonconducting fluid is liquid polytetrafluoroethylene.
 4. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said conducting film ring is an aqueous saline solution.
 5. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said conducting film disc is an aqueous saline solution.
 6. A switch as recited in claim 1 wherein said toroid insulator is made of polypropylene. 